Yeah, we’re on the record

OK,

 I completely understand Matt Murphy’s selling of the ball that Barry Bonds hit for his 756th home run.

 I think it stinks that he couldn’t afford to keep it.

My dad caught a foul ball from a guy named Larry Owen at a Richmond Braves game back in the 1980s. He broke his finger doing so. And he gave it to me.

That ball, to me, is priceless.

If I’d caught Barry Bonds’ 756th, it would have been the same.

Meaning, I never would have sold either of them.

But the IRS would have taxed me for my ‘luck’ of catching Bonds’ ball. However, it could care less about my dad’s Larry Owen ball.

Both would have sat next to each other on my mantle. The Larry Owen ball is autographed, got it the next game we went to. Funny, it’s actually next to a Barry Bonds autographed ball I got in 1988 at a baseball card show. He signed it in person, for 6 bucks.

Of course, Mr. Murphy made more selling the ball than I have ever made writing about sports, so he now deserves to be taxed. He didn’t just for catching a foul ball, however. If you do it for that one, you’d better do it for every one. Heck, a foul ball at a River Rats game is worth the cost of the ball at least… a couple bucks. Charge all those New Bernians too, IRS….